VILLA will use the next few days to push ahead their plans to sign Liverpool's Czech intermational striker Milan Baros.

VILLA will use the next few days to push ahead their plans to sign Liverpool's Czech intermational striker Milan Baros.

The club remain optimistic they can put together a mouth-watering offer to capture the 23-year-old.

Liverpool have rejected a #5million bid but Villa have ready cash available to up the stakes after selling Darius Vassell.

It appears that their closest competitors, Schalke, have nowhere near the funds to match Villa.

The German club have been trying to capture Baros on a season-long loan which does not appeal to Liverpool.

Villa are now waiting to get hold of Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry so that he can agree to a realistic price.

David O'Leary's move for an established top-flight striker comes at a time when he is heaping huge praise on fans' favourite Juan Pablo Angel for rediscovering his spark of old.

The Colombian failed to reproduce anywhere near the form that got him his 23-goal haul in O'Leary's first season in charge.

But Angel scored a spectacular strike in the 3-3 draw with GAIS on Tuesday, and heads into tomorrow's friendly at Molineux in good shape.

Angel scored two crackers against Wolves when they last met in the Premiership, and O'Leary said: "You've got to hand it to Juan, he came back for pre-season six or so days before he could have done with the rest of the team.

"He's been working very hard and I detect a real hunger about him.

"He's the same Angel I saw when I first came to the club and that's exactly what we need from him this season."